While Jackson has had a prolific career as a pro, his exit from San Antonio was one of the bigger storylines and an equally controversial one at that.
Stephen Jackson's murky history with the San Antonio Spurs is well-documented, and the former guard opened up about one of the instances where he was asked to admit that Danny Green and Manu Ginobili were better players.
The call to admission came from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, and while Jackson has had a prolific career as a pro, his exit from San Antonio was one of the bigger storylines and an equally controversial one at that. He left the team in 2003 following structural changes in the offense that saw a massive chunk of his minutes reduced. He was eventually waived by the Spurs in 2013.
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Now, he had another tale to narrate during his time with San Antonio, and speaking on the 'I AM ATHLETE', he spoke of the time coach Pop wanted him to admit that sharpshooter Green and guard Ginobili were better players.
"What Pop would do, he would make you play yourself off the team, and he gonna put you in every situation. So win the first Championship and I am supposed to get my big contract right, but he wanted to pay no real one. He wanted to pay Ginobili and Tony Parker, the European guys. He had a certain look for the team. I wasn't in that look, but I was a big reason why we won, and he knew that.
So they went off of me, three years, $10 million. I ain't taking that, he's gonna get your nobody 70-80, I'm not taking that, so I bounce, but when I come back, he's still on the same, I'm gonna sum the story up. When I get back the second time, he's still trying to play little mind games wth people, and I see that, so I ain't really going for it.
By his own admission, Jackson was a vital part of the 2002-03 Spurs unit averaging 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Speaking about his second stint. He further explained that he had great practice given his minutes on the floor dwindled, and that was his way of preparing for the playoffs.
I go into the practice room, and he sits me down and shows me my three worst possessions of the whole season. Not the million good plays I had, but three bad plays he had to go through tape to find, and he showed me those three possessions and he was like, "I gonna bring the team in, and I want you to admit that Danny Green and Ginobili are better than you because I am gonna play them in the playoffs."
As far as the numbers go, Green averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in his eight seasons with the Spurs, while Ginobili had 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
Stephen Jackson Explains His Problems With Gregg Popovich And The San Antonio Spurs
Stephen Jackson's fiery exit wasn't without reason, and in a recent interview, spoke about trust as the key factor behind his motivation to earn another ring with a different franchise.
Recently, he spoke to NBA Insider Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson and shed light on why he had an issue with the Spurs.
"I knew Pop was a good coach but I didn't 100% trust him because I know he had three people he cared about: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker. I knew I wasn't one of his guys, so I made it work for me. I got a ring out of the situation and I bounced," said Jackson candidly. "They tried to lowball me and give Ginobili the money. So, I have all the respect for Pop for giving me that opportunity but San Antonio was not a place for me. As you see, I left San Antonio and had better years. That system wasn't meant for my game. I'm glad I left. I'm thankful for the Championship but I'm glad I was able to leave San Antonio and be the best player I could be cause I wouldn't have been that had I stayed there."
In separate storylines, Jackson also once spoke of how Mike Brown shielded him from Coach Pop. The now- Sacramento Kings coach was assigned to help Jackson with who he said he had a great relationship with.
Brown would look out for the guard every time he had a reason to vent. Then there was also the time when Jackson felt Tony Parker's selfishness cost the side a few championships. It appears that he was involved in some stormy moments with the side.
While the Spurs did have some mighty great moments over the course of their run in the NBA, there have been equally controversial instances and one of them included Jackson's tumultuous relationship with the side.
Would things have panned out differently had he gotten the recognition he deserved? We'll never know.
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